Though I love to read, I am often deterred from my ardor by the time it takes to “get into” the book.

This was not the case with “Keeper of the House,” an interesting and unusual novel by Rebecca Godwin. I simply could not put the book down, finishing it in the course of a day despite breaks to make meals and clean house. The latter was reduced to what my mother would call “a lick and a promise!”

Announcement is made of the engagement and forthcoming marriage of Shanna G. Johnson of Shallotte to Jamieka D. Elliott, who is currently stationed in Germany. The bride-elect is the daughter of Angelette G. Hill of Supply and Lacca W. Bromell of West Palm Beach, Fla. The prospective groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Bowens of Ash. The wedding will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at Waccamaw Park Community Center in Ash. A reception will follow at Waccamaw Park Community Center.

Neal and Cindy Northrup celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 11. They were married in Rochester, N.Y., and lived there until moving to Shallotte 15 years ago. They have three daughters and six grandchildren. While visiting Rochester, N.Y., in June they celebrated with family. On July 11, they were honored with a surprise gathering of friends at the home of Bob and Marianne Nobles in Shallotte.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Landscape Color Field Day in Raleigh. This event got started back in the 1960s as the “bedding plant field day” and includes trials of annuals and some perennials that provide color and interest in those high-visibility places in the garden. Included are some of the highlights from checking out the color.

The appearance of many shrubs can be improved with a general pruning at this time of year. With new growth averaging 6 to 8 inches long, many evergreens are getting slightly out of bounds. Now is a good time to take hand pruners and shears to shape them.

• Individual branches and stems need to be cut to back inside the plant. This will reduce the overall size of the plant and also reshape it.

John and Sara Truesdale are celebrating 67 years of marriage. They have four children, Ann, John, Connie and Jack, and their children’s spouses Dan, Peggy, Harold and Beth. They have seven grandchildren and their spouses; seven great-grandchildren and one special Emily in heaven.

I read an interesting commentary regarding the question of sin in our lives and in our world. In Joan Chittister’s “In My Own Words” she asks, “What is sin?” and says that question has changed her life completely.

Chittister’s words challenged me. Nobody wants to think about sin and sinfulness. It’s such a downer, but I began to question how many times and in how many ways I had indulged myself in activities or omissions that occurred at the expense of others.

Daisy, left, and Hannah are best friends forever felines and two tabbies looking for a good home at Cat Tails. Daisy is almost 5 and Hannah, who’s a little shyer, is almost a year old. To see them, call Cat Tails at 253-1375 or visit its Web site at www.cattails.org. You can visit Daisy and Hannah, as well as all the other cats and kittens available for adoption, at Cat Tails in the Corner Stone center at 6622 Beach Drive in Ocean Isle Beach. Visiting hours are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and 1-3 p.m. Sundays. Other hours are by appointment.

Even though I have a master’s degree and lots of certifications and credentials like most of us who work with Cooperative Extension, I’ve always trusted the hard-won education gained from experience. Here are some musings from my own garden trials and tribulations this year.

Kerry Kennedy of Ocean Isle Beach is a world traveler who has visited five of the seven continents.

It began when she was a child in Harbor Creek, Pa. Her father worked for a company that manufactured locomotives and traveled to places like Cuba and South Africa to deliver them. He told stories of his adventures in faraway countries, but the family didn’t just listen to his tales, they had their own adventures.

W.J. and Sibyl McLamb will serve as Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter chairs of the Closer to Home capital campaign. The campaign will raise funds to build a seven-bed inpatient hospice care center for Brunswick County patients and families.

The McLambs were touched by the hospice care their loved one received by Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter.

“The time has come for Brunswick County to have its own hospice care center, and the people of Brunswick County deserve to have an inpatient care center closer to home,” Sibyl McLamb said.

For most of my career with Cooperative Extension, there has been little interest in home vegetable gardening. Sure, the hardcore gentlemen farmers kept on growing southern favorites like collards and okra along with mega-popular commodities like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, but the rest of the crowd preferred their veggies in microwave-safe plastic pouches with the likeness of the Jolly Green Giant boldly displayed.

Whenever we have a heat wave like the ones we having been having on and off this summer, it is a good idea to take frequent breaks and replenish lost liquids as you work. We want you to enjoy your garden and not end up in the hospital.

Here are a few things to do and to be looking for at this time of year: